Objective To develop and evaluate the components of a modelling system to forecast floods in rivers draining steep mountainous catchments into flat plains where they flood large urban areas. Traditional flood warning systems are inadequate because of the fast response time of the catchments. Accurate forecasts of precipitation are essential for successful flood warnings. The proposed system will consist of a high-resolution limited area meteorological model together with a hydrological catchment model and an hydraulic channel network model. All of these models exist separately and are available to the proposers. However the refinement and integration of all of them into a flood forecasting system has not yet been done for steep mountainous catchments. To investigate the factors affecting the accuracy and reliability of flooding forecasts from such a system and to determine the nature of the trade-off between forecast lead-time, spatial resolution and forecast accuracy.The project will: develop adequate parametrisation schemes in limited area high resolution atmosphere models for clouds and precipitation, which are as independent as possible from grid resolution. investigate the sensitivity of the resulting high resolution limited area meteorological models to (i) orography steepness, and (ii) the formulation of the horizontal diffusion. determine the spatial resolution required in a meteorological model for precipitation forecasts accuracy of the precipitation forecasts. determine the most appropriate type and complexity of catchment model and channel network model required for (i) adequate discharge forecasts and (ii) for adequate flood warnings? establish the effect of backwater from a tidal estuary on water levels where appropriate. choose the most appropriate algorithm for triggering high resolution modelling? The work will progress European modelling and forecasting abilities to the point where floods in steep catchments can be forecast and will quantify the performance to be expected from these methods. Fields of science natural sciencescomputer and information sciencessoftwaresoftware applicationssimulation software Programme(s) FP4-ENV 2C - Specific programme of research and technological development in the field of environment and climate, 1994-1998 Topic(s) 020301 - Hydrological and hydrogeological risks Call for proposal Data not available Funding Scheme CSC - Cost-sharing contracts Coordinator University College Dublin Address Earlsfort terrace 2 Dublin Ireland See on map EU contribution € 0,00 Participants (4) Sort alphabetically Sort by EU Contribution Expand all Collapse all MET EIREANN - The Irish Meteorological Service Ireland EU contribution € 0,00 Address Glasnevin hill 9 Dublin See on map SWEDISH METEOROLOGICAL AND HYDROLOGICAL INSTITUTE Sweden EU contribution € 0,00 Address Folkborgsvägen 1 601 76 Norrköping See on map Links Website Opens in new window UNIVERSITY OF BOLOGNA Italy EU contribution € 0,00 Address Via zamboni 67 40127 Bologna See on map Università degli Studi di Bologna Italy EU contribution € 0,00 Address Via irnerio 46 40126 Bologna See on map
